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It’s a rumor I’ve heard repeated by multiple gun owners, “You know, your RV is considered your home so if you have a gun in there, the police can’t give you trouble.” If it were true, it would beg all kinds of questions: What about a converted van? What about a car you sleep in sometimes? But lawyers explain that the actual law is a bit more nuanced.

The Florida law firm of Katz & Phillips dedicates a page on its website to dispelling the myth of blanket immunity for carrying a firearm in an RV. When an RV–whether a converted van, a trailer, or truck bed camper–is on a public roadway it is just a vehicle. It doesn’t matter if grandpa is sleeping in the back, it’s still not a “home.”

While you are driving, your RV is subject to all the laws a normal vehicle would be. This includes firearm laws. So if you don’t have a concealed carry permit, you may need to keep any firearms locked up, out of reach, and even stored in separate containers from ammunition. These will obviously vary by state.

Hunter standing in his campsite, facing an RV camper van.
Hunter by an RV | welcomia via iStockPhoto

If you have a concealed carry permit, things may get even more complicated. Many states define “concealed” as in a compartment that other passengers can’t access. So an unlocked glovebox or center console is not “concealed.” This law would affect many storage areas in an RV. But again, specifics vary by state.

Once you have parked your RV, off of a public roadway, it legally transforms into a home. If you are on your own property, you have as much freedom as your home state allows. If you are allowed to store any firearm in your home, you are allowed to store it in an RV on your property as well. If your state has stipulations–such as storing firearms locked when minors are present–these apply in your RV.

The final scenario is the most common, and the most complex. If your RV is parked off a roadway, but on property you don’t own, it is your home…but your legal status is as a tenant. So let’s say you rent a camping site in an RV park that specifies you can’t discharge firearms. By renting the spot, you’ve agreed to abide by their rules and you can’t shoot guns from your RV. Even though it is your home. The same would apply if you had a landlord who put specific rules in your lease. So wherever you choose to camp in your RV, be it a state park, federal land, or a private park, you’ll want to check on local laws and guidelines.

Next, find out whether the Ram 1500 has a built-in gun case, or learn more about how the federal “safe passage provision” affects traveling across state lines with a firearm in the video below:

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